Bowdoin at Southern Maine 7PM

Bowdoin Polar Bears (5-3-1) at University of Southern Maine (4-5-0) 
7 PM  USM Ice Arena; Gorham, ME
Video 

The Lowdown: Meagher vs Beaney; the other Beaney
Both of these coaches have last names that indicate Division III men's ice hockey royalty; Meagher and Beaney, a combined 1,087 career coaching wins for the D-III duo. Unfortunately for University of Southern Maine coach Jeff Beaney, that number refers to older brother Bill Beaney, the coach of eight time national champion Middlebury. Things haven't been as bright for Jeff, who enters tonight's game with 257 career wins in this his 27th season as Huskies head man. In 26 complete seasons, the younger Beaney has ten single digit victory seasons while Bowdoin coach and 503 game winner Meagher has only one such season in 30 years with the Polar Bears.

Last season was a particularly tough year for the Huskies, who finished last in the ECAC East and went 7-19-0, their lowest win total in a decade. They were a young team, however, and have shown significant signs of improvement. They are 4-5-0 with none of the five losses coming by more than three goals. One of those three goal losses came at the hands of Colby, whom the Huskies outshot 43-26 on November 19th but USM lost 5-2.

Bowdoin comes into the game on the opposite side of the momentum spectrum. Following one of the most successful seasons in school history, Bowdoin entered the year as the prohibitive favorite to win the NESCAC. So far, the Polar Bears have gone 5-3-1 and sit tied for fifth in the NESCAC with a 2-3-1 conference record. This past Friday they lost in OT to previously winless Conn College; it was their eighth game of the season. Last season they only lost four games total and they didn't lose their third game until the regular season finale against Trinity, a game which had little implications for a Bowdoin team that had already clinched home ice for the NESCAC playoffs.

Despite this, Bowdoin has continued its recent domination of out-of-conference play, especially against non-NESCAC teams from Maine. On November 26th, Bowdoin dismantled University of New England 9-3 with five third period goals for Meagher's 500th career coaching win.

Bowdoin has a 15-6-1 all-time record against USM, including two wins against the Huskies last season. Luckily for Jeff Beaney and co. this game is in Gorham. The Huskies are winless in Brunswick (0-10-1) but even with the Polar Bears (5-5-0) at home. USM last beat Bowdoin, 3-1, in December of 2011. Then sophomore Ollie Koo (D,F, '14) scored the only goal for Bowdoin in the game. Last year's Polar Bear points leader has missed the last five games due to injury.

This is the last game of 2013 for any NESCAC school. Bowdoin returns from break with a January 7th home game against UNE. Jeff Beaney's babies -- freshmen/sophomores make up 2/3 of the roster --  return to action against Neumann on January 3rd in the first round of older brother Bill's Middlebury Classic.

Players to watch 
Colin Downey (F/D, '14) The senior from East Sandwich, Mass. sits only five points away from joining the hallowed 100 point club. Downey has four points (3-1-4) in four career games against the Huskies.

Dylan Wells (G, '17)  Wells didn't get to face off against any of the high octane offenses in the Hockey East last year, as he dressed but did not play in any games for the D-I Providence Friars last year. How will he fare against the high powered but inconsistent offensive attack of the Polar Bears? Coach Jeff Beaney has spoken highly of his transfer goaltender, who has a 3-4-0 record, 2.15 Goals Against Average and .895 save percentage in seven games this season.

It hasn't been the season they expected in Brunswick, but it's still early yet and the Polar Bears close the door on 2013 after tonight, so cut them slack. Here's the Sound City Players - "Cut Me Some Slack."

Foo Fighters front man/Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl formed the Sound City Players (not called that at the time) as a surprise for the 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief. During Paul McCartney's performance, the former Beatle announced he had been jamming with some musicians who hadn't played in a while. Out came the surving members of Nirvana: Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear. The quartet performed the song they jammed, "Cut Me Some Slack."